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In an upward garden, climbing vines bring visitors

With hanging plants and climbing vines, Steve Pesick’s yard is a magnet for visitors buzzing through. The upward natural spaces around the Homewood home draw in hummingbirds, butterflies and more happy insects. The Pesicks’ plantings follow the paths of the creatures that visit their yard.

With hanging plants and climbing vines, Steve Pesick’s yard is a magnet for visitors buzzing through. The upward natural spaces around the Homewood home draw in hummingbirds, butterflies and more happy insects.

Trellises placed strategically around the yard help Steve Pesick grow a vertical garden and attract birds and bees. (Provided photo)
  Trellises placed strategically
  around the yard help Steve
  Pesick grow a vertical garden
  and attract birds and bees.
 
 (Provided photo)

“We started collecting trellises at estate sales, and have now planted over 10 different types of clematis around the yard,” Pesick said. “The large massive clematis attached to our garage wall is actually two plants guided with string to form one massive mass.”

The variety of clematis — a climbing, viney flower — grows green all season before blooming in late summer with an explosion of tiny white flowers that feed dozens of bees.

The Pesicks’ plantings follow the paths of the creatures that visit their yard. After discovering how much black swallowtail caterpillars love to eat parsley, Pesick decided to plant more this year. 

“Near the arbor in the backyard, we found a couple of juvenile mourning doves enjoying some shelter and next to this we hung two hummingbird feeders,” she said. “We enjoyed a freeway full of little buzzing birds all season long.”

 

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